Best of SF: Alcatraz Island, Ferry, & Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
Description
Visit Alcatraz Island, the infamous former prison that once held America’s most notorious criminals. Walk through the original cell blocks, experience the award-winning “Doing Time” audio tour with stories from real inmates and guards, and enjoy stunning views of San Francisco Bay. Use your 48-hour Big Bus ticket to see the city at your own pace. Ride in comfort on open-top double-decker buses and hop on and off at top attractions including Union Square, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Learn more with multilingual audio commentary as you discover San Francisco’s neighborhoods and landmarks. Package also includes entry to the Aquarium by the Bay and a 1-hour Panoramic Sunset Tour of the city after dark! Highlights Guaranteed access to Alcatraz Island 48-hour hop-on, hop-off Big Bus pass Iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Union Square, and more
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- To receive your Alcatraz Island Ticket you must check into the Big Bus Visitor Center one day prior to the Alcatraz Tour date, or before 9am on the date of your Alcatraz Tour.
- Please advise at time of booking if wheelchair assistance is required
- Photo ID is required.
- Please note that the date you have selected is the date for your Alcatraz Tour.
- Your tour time will be assigned 5 days in advance of the tour date. Once a time is assigned we are not able to make any changes, please note your timed entry will be allocated by Alcatraz this will not be able to be personally selected
- Hop-on Hop-off tour ticket is valid during operating hours for 48 hours after first use. Download the Big Bus Tours app to access and activate your ticket, track buses in real time, and board easily using your mobile ticket.
Reviews(662)
Kerwin was a fantastic tour guide. Helped my husband with his wheelchair and made sure everyone was comfortable and having fun!
Hello there! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review. We are thrilled to hear that Kerwin provided excellent service and made your experience enjoyable. Our team takes great pride in ensuring all of our guests have a comfortable and fun experience with us. We hope to see you again soon!
The ferry ride to Alcatraz was as expected. A beautiful day made it very pleasant. Once there, we did the cell block audio tour, which should not be skipped, and walked the grounds. Lots of flowers and garden plantings, as well as fantastic views of San Fran, made for many photo ops. We also did the full big bus tour and learned about/saw a lot of the city we probably would have missed otherwise. Overall, A+.
Hello Donald! Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We are very happy to hear that you have had an amazing experience with our service. We are looking forward to welcoming you back! Razvan@BigBusTours
Sfo in 1 day!!! Best wrap up of the city in case you're tight on time. All key points are covered.
Thank you for your amazing review! We are so glad that you enjoyed our wrap up of the city in just one day. We strive to cover all the key points in an efficient and memorable way for our customers. We hope to see you again soon!
I really enjoyed the Hop-on Hop-off tour. The audio commentary was very informative and added a lot to the experience. However, the drivers were a bit rude at times, and I wish they received better training on customer service and polite behavior. The Alcatraz trip is absolutely worth exploring. I loved the boat ride as well as the prison tour—both are rich in history and very engaging. I would definitely rate the Alcatraz experience five stars. On my return from Alcatraz, I took the shuttle, and the staff there was very friendly and helpful.
Hello Sunil! Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback! We’re delighted you enjoyed the hop-on hop-off tour, the informative audio commentary, and especially your Alcatraz experience. It’s great to hear you found the boat ride and prison tour engaging and that the return shuttle staff were friendly and helpful. We’re sorry to hear that some of your interactions with our drivers did not meet expectations, and this is certainly something we take seriously. Please feel free to contact us at info@bigbustours.com so we can review this further for you. Adrian @BigBusTours
This is the best way to get around and to learn about San Francisco. They are narrated . It was easy to get to the stops and buses were on time!!
Thank you for your fantastic feedback! We’re so pleased to hear that Big Bus Tours was the best way for you to get around San Francisco and learn more about the city. It’s great to know the narrated commentary, easy‑to‑find stops, and on‑time buses made your experience smooth and enjoyable. We’re delighted you had such a positive visit and hope to welcome you on board again soon! Ciprian @ Big Bus Tours
I would have loved to give the Big Bus hop-on/Hop-off 5 stars. Unfortunately, there were a number of things we experienced that drug down the rating. The first and most important was the prerecorded places of interest/historic presentation. It was continuously behind so we were not hearing about sites until after we passed them or locations you not even see from the bus. It also often said things like "the home used in Mrs. Doubtful" and "the Full House home is a few blocks down Broderick St." but did not offer any hop-off opportunities near either place of interest. Another place of interest we missed was any chance to get off in the Haight-Ashbury district as we blew down the street so fast we missed where Jimmy Hendricks lived. Another negative is none of the stops cross each other so you can't easily hop-off and walk a short distance to a stop that will allow you to return to the starting point. You have to ride the entire route or Uber/Lyft/Waymo your way back to the waterfront. On the bright side, the hop-off location for Chinatown was great.
We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with our audio narration and route issues. We certainly appreciate your feedback as we are always looking for ways to improve. Thank you for joining us and we hope you will give us another chance in the future!
Alcatraz , was a great experience , the audio tour was extremely helpful don't do it without. The hop on hop off bus tour ticket was ideal you can get on and off at all the local sights , it was well worth the package price and a great way to see San francisco
Good tour with many sites that reflected SF. Great narrative. It was very difficult to walk to the building to pick up the tickets for the Alcatraz portion of our excursion because people in our group had limited mobility.
Great trip which went smoothly! Included Alcatraz tour, aquarium visit and hop on hop off bus tour (sunset and day time).
A great way to see the sights sat on the top deck listening to the comentary about the city. Get on and off where you like made it very easy to get around. The evening drive was a great experience to see the city lit up..
